Porcupine Tree "Deadwing" first impressions

Yes- evolved from a "fake" prog band.

Common knowledge to long-time fans, but maybe new to those currently discovering PT:
Steve Wilson put out the first "Porcupine Tree" album as a musical joke, teasing and honoring his interest in prog when he was young. He invented a Spinal Tap-like history and sound for the band. Much of this is lost by just holding and listening to the CD. The music got spread around the indy/prog community and people clamored for more, inspiring Wilson to devote more time to the "band," which released a couple of albums (Up the Downstairs, The Sky Moves Sideways) before there really as a cohesive unit. This is why many people consider "Signify" to be the first "real" PT album- the band was finally in place as a unit and they also tightened up the songwriting and began crafting the songs more seriously.

 

Actually the band was a fake psychedelic band, and the first couple of albums (On The Sunday of Life, Up The Downstair) paid homage to his love of psychedelic music. The prog label really got attached to PT around the time of The Sky Moves Sideways because of the similarities of that album to Pink Floyd. Parts of The Sky Moves Sideways were recorded with the musicians that would become full-time memers of PT. Signify was the first album that was entirely recorded as a full band.

Steven Wilson was surprised and a little amused by the prog label, but he admits that the band took advantage of the label because it found them their initial audience in the while neo-prog movement, even though he really never felt his music had much in common with any of the other neo-prog bands.

 

I just got back from a 3 day Golf Trip and "Deadwing" is waiting for me from CD Universe!

My order from oversees of the Limited Edition of "Deadwing" in Dolby
Digital is also on the way.

I'll give my impressions when it arrives.

I'll also get the DVDA on May 10th.

 

I listened to the disc on Rhapsody, I really enjoyed it! Never heard of the group before joining this forum. So thanks!

 

Well, I've listened to it a couple of times now. I really like it a lot. Once again it's a highly varied set of songs, ranging from short, tuneful pop songs to extended spacey jams to heavy metal workouts. There's not a weak song on the album. In terms of where it ranks among they're albums, I think I might like it slightly better than In Absentia (it seems more consistent) and maybe lose to Lightbulb Sun.

 

I'm still waiting for the Special Edition of "Deadwing" from Europe.

It didn't arrive today.

Maybe tomorrow.

 

so im getting from this thread that i wont like the new album, this comes from a lover of the "joke" band they supposedly were born from. i love the early psych stuff from sky to up the downstairs to voyage 34. i dont like the later stuff from signify to in absentia. i really enjoy the more obscure side projects like bass communion and the blackfield cd. i guess ill be borrowing this one because in absentia has gathered dust from the beginning few listens until now.

 

If you don't like the stuff from Signify to In Absentia, then you probably won't like Deadwing either. It's very much in that style. By the way, I love their early stuff as well. The term "joke" was not meant in a pejorative way. It is a fact that PT was started by Steven Wilson as a joke. The early albums reflected his love of psychedelia.

 

After a few listens to the new CD this album seems to be very strong and will end up on my Best Of 2005 list.

I'm looking forward to seeing them on May20th here in NYC.

 

Porcupine Tree has broken the Billboard top 200 album chart for the first time. "Deadwing" enters the chart this week at #132.

 

Listened to it for the first time last night. Love it.

I love that it starts off heavy but swings back into "classic" PT.

 

I've been listening to almost nothing but Porcupine Tree for the last five days. In addition to the stellar "Deadwing" I've been hearing the following Porcupine Tree albums for the first time:

-Recordings
-Stupid Dream
-Lightbulb Sun
-Coma Divine
-Stars Die: The Delerium years

Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream are just as good as "In Absentia" and "Deadwing". I'm shocked that a band this good was under my radar for so long.

"Deadwing" should make the band a household name for discriminating fans of rock music.

 

Coma Divine is an EXCELLENT live album. I've read some tweaking/cleaning up was done by Wilson, but I don't care, that thing is just fantastic! I also have all the studio albums, as well as Recordings, Metanoia, the Stars Die comp, and the XM and Warszawa discs. Essentially all the officially released CDs, I believe. Like each and everyone for different reasons.

Off topic, but as a heads up, the 2 disc re-release of Up the Downstairs is due out on May 22nd. I preordered it from CDUniverse for $12.59, which is the best price I found.

 

I'm glad to see so many PT fans on board.

One thing about this band, once you get into them you need all their stuff....its addicting!!!

 

No sign of the Special Edition "Deadwing" yet. Its stuck in UPS hell it seems. Tracking shows its still in California for some reason.

I may get the DVDA on Tuesday before the SE arrives.

 

My red vinyl copy of Deadwing arrived a few days ago. No luck. Record 2 is so badly warped it is unlistenable, and record 1 spins off-center. I e-mailed Michael Piper five days ago but still haven't heard from him. I'm hoping for a replacement copy. Meanwhile, I'm listening to the UK CD version. I love it. For some reason, I find that several of the new tracks bring back some of the atmosphere of earlier stuff found on Moonloop, Insignificance and Recordings. Superb.

 

I received the DTS Surround version of "Deadwing" today and upon first listen it is mesmerizing!! "Glass Arm Shattering" is a highlight in surround.

Once again this is a must own DTS disc. It just sounds better than the CD version (which is unfortunately a bit maximized).

On Tuesday the DVDA gets released but this Special Edition DTS disc I received from Europe is no slouch. The DVDA tracks should be as spectacular.

Elliot hits it out of the ballpark!

 

Still waiting.....gggrrrrr

 

I'm looking forward to seeing them too, there in Grand Rapids on the 23rd, tickets are only ten bucks

 

I also am still awaiting my copy.

I just borrowed someone else's CD and have been listening to it. A lot.

The only song that's not doing much for me is Halo. The rest is wonderful.

 

I am starting to think the music industry would have been better off doing more DTS discs than SACD/DVD-A! That is how good the DTS version of "Deadwing" is for me. I am sure the DVD-A will be great as well but with the DTS disc this good, I could do without DVD-A.

I've played the surround version several times and it does get better. I have not played the redbook yet. My overall impression is a band headed more toward heavy rock and away from most prog sounds. I do kind of miss some of the great acoustic guitar though as there is not as much on this release.

 

DVD-Audio

Does anyone have the DVD-Audio of this? I held off buying the CD because the DVD-Audio was listed as coming out 5/10 but I can't find it anywhere.

 

I couldn't find it at amazon, but CD Universe has it. If I can't find it today at my local record store, I'm going to order it online.

Has anyone heard the three bonus tracks on the DVD-A? I think a couple of them were on the European single for "Lazarus".

 

Here it is. I cross referenced the # with amazon.ca
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...48018/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/103-8202414-5849440